Stamp Duty on a £200,000 House 2026
Quick answer: a standard buyer pays £1,500. A first-time buyer pays £0. A second-home buyer pays £11,500. £200,000 is the modal first-time-buyer price outside London, the centre of the FTB sweet spot.
By buyer type at £200,000
| Buyer type | England + NI (SDLT) | Scotland (LBTT) | Wales (LTT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard buyer | £1,500 | £1,100 | £0 |
| First-time buyer | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Second home / additional property | £11,500 | £17,100 | £8,000 |
| Non-UK resident (standard) | £5,500 | £1,100 | £0 |
Scotland LBTT second-home figure includes the 8% Additional Dwelling Supplement on the full £200,000 (£16,000) plus standard LBTT of £1,100. Wales LTT figure uses the residential higher-rate schedule effective December 2024. Non-UK resident 2% surcharge applies in England and Northern Ireland only.
How the £1,500 standard SDLT is built
| Band | Rate | Taxable in this band | Tax due |
|---|---|---|---|
| £0 to £125,000 | 0% | £125,000 | £0 |
| £125,001 to £200,000 | 2% | £75,000 | £1,500 |
| Total | £1,500 | ||
Effective rate: 0.75%. Below the 1% mark across the whole price, SDLT is a minor cost on the completion statement. Compare with a £300,000 purchase, where SDLT hits 1.67% effective, or a £500,000 purchase at 3% effective.
Why £200,000 is the modal FTB price point
The Council of Mortgage Lenders and Halifax house-price indices both put the median UK first-time-buyer purchase price in the £180,000 to £230,000 range outside London for 2025. At £200,000 a standard buyer pays £1,500 SDLT, but an FTB pays zero, which is the largest absolute saving per pound of FTB nil-rate band used: the £300,000 FTB nil-rate band fully covers a £200,000 purchase, so all of the £1,500 standard SDLT is saved without using any of the 5% FTB band slice.
By the same logic, the FTB saving as a percentage of purchase price peaks at exactly £300,000 (£5,000 saved on £300,000) and tapers as the price rises into the 5% FTB band, until it disappears entirely at £500,000 (both standard and FTB pay £15,000). See first-time buyer page for the full taper curve.
FTB eligibility at this price point: both buyers (where the title is in joint names) must be first-time buyers per SDLTM29800. Prior ownership of any residential interest anywhere in the world disqualifies; inherited property counts as prior ownership.
The £11,500 second-home figure broken down
A £200,000 second home in England pays 5% on the first £125,000 (£6,250) plus 7% on the next £75,000 (£5,250), giving £11,500 total. The standard buyer pays £1,500 at this price, so the surcharge alone (the additional 5% portion) is £10,000. That £10,000 is reclaimable from HMRC if the second purchase was a replacement main residence and the previous main residence sells within three years of the new completion (paragraph 8 of Schedule 4ZA FA 2003).
The surcharge applies if the dwelling costs at least £40,000 and the buyer (or spouse) owns one or more other dwellings worth at least £40,000 at the end of the day of purchase. A £200,000 dwelling clears the threshold trivially. Joint purchases trigger the surcharge if any one buyer has another dwelling, so an unmarried co-buyer with an existing flat will drag the whole purchase into HRAD.
The surcharge was raised from 3% to 5% on 31 October 2024. Pre-31 October 2024 a £200,000 second home cost £7,500 (3% on the first £250,000); the same purchase now costs £11,500 (5% on the first £125,000 plus 7% on the next slice). The £4,000 increase represents a 53% jump in second-home stamp duty in a single budget cycle.
£200,000 across the three UK nations
England and Northern Ireland: £1,500 standard SDLT. Scotland LBTT: £1,100 (taxable slice is £200,000 minus the £145,000 nil-rate band = £55,000 at 2%). Wales LTT: £0 (the £225,000 nil-rate band covers the whole price for a main-residence purchase). Wales is the cheapest, England the most expensive, Scotland in between.
For the second-home buyer the ranking reverses on Wales versus England: Wales LTT second-home is £8,000 (4% on the first £180,000 then 7.5% above), and England SDLT second-home is £11,500. Scotland is most expensive at £17,100 because the 8% Additional Dwelling Supplement is a flat percentage of the full price with no graduated bands, charged on top of standard LBTT.
For Scotland mechanics see Scotland LBTT; for Wales see Wales LTT.
Filing and paying SDLT on a £200,000 purchase
The SDLT return (Form SDLT1) is due within 14 days of the effective date, which is normally completion. Your solicitor or conveyancer files the return through HMRC's SDLT Online service and collects the £1,500 from your completion funds. Late filing attracts a £100 penalty (rising to £200 after three months) plus daily interest on unpaid tax under paragraph 23 of Schedule 10 FA 2003.
HMRC has nine months from filing to open an enquiry into the return under paragraph 12 of Schedule 10 FA 2003. The most common challenges at this price point are around FTB eligibility (typically an inherited share in a parent's property counting as prior ownership), chattels apportionment, and the suitable-for-use-as-a-dwelling test (relevant for properties needing major renovation).
For step-by-step payment instructions see the how to pay SDLT page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is stamp duty on a £200,000 house in 2026?
Standard: £1,500. FTB: £0. Second home: £11,500. Non-UK resident: £5,500. Wales LTT main residence: £0 (cheapest of all). Scotland LBTT main residence: £1,100.
What is the most common UK first-time-buyer price and where does £200k sit?
Per HMRC SDLT statistics, the modal FTB price outside London is in the £150k to £250k bracket. £200k is right in the centre, where FTB relief saves all £1,500 of standard SDLT.
Is a £200k second home better in Scotland or Wales?
Wales (£8,000). Scotland is most expensive (£17,100) because of the flat 8% ADS on the whole price. England sits between at £11,500.
Can I deduct fixtures and fittings from the £200k price to reduce SDLT?
Free-standing chattels yes (per SDLTM04010), fixtures no. A defensible £3-5k chattels apportionment saves £60-£100 on a £200k purchase. Must be realistic values and separately invoiced.
How long does HMRC have to challenge my SDLT return?
Nine months to open an enquiry (paragraph 12 of Schedule 10 FA 2003), up to four years for discovery assessments (twenty years for deliberate behaviour).
Do I pay SDLT if I am buying a £200k flat with my parents helping?
If the parents are on the title or are gifting cash that does not count as consideration. If the parents go onto the title and they already own a home, the 5% additional-dwellings surcharge applies to the whole £200k (so £11,500 not £1,500), and FTB relief is lost. Most family-help arrangements use a deed of gift for the deposit and keep the title in the FTB's name alone, preserving the £0 FTB outcome.
What if the £200k purchase is in joint names with one FTB and one prior owner?
FTB relief is lost. The whole purchase is treated as a standard buyer purchase and pays £1,500. The presence of any prior owner on the title forfeits FTB relief for everyone on the title.
Related price points
Not tax advice. Independent summary only. Always confirm your figures with a qualified UK solicitor or chartered tax adviser before completing a transaction.